Towards an Islamic Spirituality - a Pilgrim and a Reader...
By Eliseo "Jun" Mercado, Jr.,OMI
Badaliyya - Philippines
A. Introduction
In the search for a new spirituality even in our contemporary world, it is always preferable to draw from our rich religious and cultural traditions. Religious as well as followers of many and holy paths have once again delved into their living traditions to retrieve the “fire” and the “spirit” that has imbued our forefathers and mothers through the years in meeting and responding to the challenges and crisis of their age.
The present reflection is not a guide through the spiritual classics of Islam, that is, the Giants of the “Sufi” tradition like Hassan al-Basri, Mansoor al Hallaj, Jallaludin al- Rumi, Muhammad ibn ‘Arabi, etc. The presentation is akin to a choice between the “Big” or “Small” paths or a choice between the two Theresa's of the Carmelite Traditions – St. Theresa de Avila or St. Therese of Lisieux. People can easily identify with St. Therese and her so-called “little way”, so the paper is a presentation of Islamic spirituality in the “little path” tradition.
B. The Common Spiritual Ground
1. Desert
2. Guide
3. Path, Water and Fire
1. Desert. The three Semitic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – have a common MATRIX, the DESERT. It is no accident that the spiritual traditions of the three above monotheistic religions are rooted in this very harsh condition. Desert is desert and no amount of glamour and romanticism even from “spiritual writers” can change its cruel and harsh realities.
As a young religious, I had always wondered why our religious life also had its deep roots in the desert. I tried to fathom this mystery by actually venturing into the harsh desert of Upper Egypt in 1981. With a guide I visited the caves of our ancient and venerable Desert Fathers. There I sat in one of the caves to simply get a physical and spiritual “touch” with the environment that gave birth to a spirituality tied to the beginnings of monasticism. The caves showed many crude stone carvings of crosses made
By Eliseo "Jun" Mercado, Jr.,OMI
Badaliyya - Philippines
A. Introduction
In the search for a new spirituality even in our contemporary world, it is always preferable to draw from our rich religious and cultural traditions. Religious as well as followers of many and holy paths have once again delved into their living traditions to retrieve the “fire” and the “spirit” that has imbued our forefathers and mothers through the years in meeting and responding to the challenges and crisis of their age.
The present reflection is not a guide through the spiritual classics of Islam, that is, the Giants of the “Sufi” tradition like Hassan al-Basri, Mansoor al Hallaj, Jallaludin al- Rumi, Muhammad ibn ‘Arabi, etc. The presentation is akin to a choice between the “Big” or “Small” paths or a choice between the two Theresa's of the Carmelite Traditions – St. Theresa de Avila or St. Therese of Lisieux. People can easily identify with St. Therese and her so-called “little way”, so the paper is a presentation of Islamic spirituality in the “little path” tradition.
B. The Common Spiritual Ground
1. Desert
2. Guide
3. Path, Water and Fire
1. Desert. The three Semitic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – have a common MATRIX, the DESERT. It is no accident that the spiritual traditions of the three above monotheistic religions are rooted in this very harsh condition. Desert is desert and no amount of glamour and romanticism even from “spiritual writers” can change its cruel and harsh realities.
As a young religious, I had always wondered why our religious life also had its deep roots in the desert. I tried to fathom this mystery by actually venturing into the harsh desert of Upper Egypt in 1981. With a guide I visited the caves of our ancient and venerable Desert Fathers. There I sat in one of the caves to simply get a physical and spiritual “touch” with the environment that gave birth to a spirituality tied to the beginnings of monasticism. The caves showed many crude stone carvings of crosses made
1
by people that tried to “find” God in the desert. Being brought by a tradition
of touching holy and sacred grounds, I began milling around and touching
the cross carvings in the walls as I relished the memories of the holy men
and women who were in these caves.
It was there that I discovered the meaning of asceticism. There was no way to survive the desert without being ascetic. The harsh environment imposes a regimen on life that reduces needs to the barest minimum. The environment, that is, the desert has become the “enemy”. In such an environment, the sole reliance is on God! Discipline and ascetical practices are introduced to reduce want and needs, understood then as the tools of the devil. An ancient Arabic saying goes this way: “anyone who ventures into the desert and comes out becomes either a saint or a fool”. In reality, there is but a hairline difference between a saint and a fool.
The desert context is one of the powerful symbols in Islam. The prophet Muhammad was often drawn into the cave of Hira in his search for the path to God. It was in one of his journeys into this cave that the first revelation (Sura 96) was made. The experience with the “divine” was so moving that tradition celebrates the event as the night of power (laylat-ul qadr) during the month of Ramadhan (the 9th lunar month of the Islamic Calendar).
The first revelation is an invitation to READ or Recite (iqra) in the name of God, the Lord of creation. The strong emphasis on the invitation to “recite” shows that the initiative in the journey to God is begun by God. It is an invitation to a relationship that begins in the acknowledgement of God’s Lordship (Rabbika) thus a true worship (ibadat) of God necessarily must begin with being God’s “reader” or “reciter”. In time, through faithful “reading” and “recitation” of God’s word, the reader becomes “nearer” to God and this would bloom into “friendship” (Siddique). The peron who is close to God becomes friends of God.
To connect it to its matrix, the desert, the “invitation” to become a reader in the midst of that harsh and cruel environment is actually a call to life. Here we hear the echo of Psalm 95: “Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness”.
The voice of God is an invitation to read and recite (iqra) that God is a mighty one and the Lord over all the gods. It is a call to listen to God and to be taught by Him (Sura 96: “thy Lord who taught by the Pen and taught man that he knew not.”). It is an invitation to abandon all the idols of the world and cling to the Lord for unto Him is the Great Returning!
It was there that I discovered the meaning of asceticism. There was no way to survive the desert without being ascetic. The harsh environment imposes a regimen on life that reduces needs to the barest minimum. The environment, that is, the desert has become the “enemy”. In such an environment, the sole reliance is on God! Discipline and ascetical practices are introduced to reduce want and needs, understood then as the tools of the devil. An ancient Arabic saying goes this way: “anyone who ventures into the desert and comes out becomes either a saint or a fool”. In reality, there is but a hairline difference between a saint and a fool.
The desert context is one of the powerful symbols in Islam. The prophet Muhammad was often drawn into the cave of Hira in his search for the path to God. It was in one of his journeys into this cave that the first revelation (Sura 96) was made. The experience with the “divine” was so moving that tradition celebrates the event as the night of power (laylat-ul qadr) during the month of Ramadhan (the 9th lunar month of the Islamic Calendar).
The first revelation is an invitation to READ or Recite (iqra) in the name of God, the Lord of creation. The strong emphasis on the invitation to “recite” shows that the initiative in the journey to God is begun by God. It is an invitation to a relationship that begins in the acknowledgement of God’s Lordship (Rabbika) thus a true worship (ibadat) of God necessarily must begin with being God’s “reader” or “reciter”. In time, through faithful “reading” and “recitation” of God’s word, the reader becomes “nearer” to God and this would bloom into “friendship” (Siddique). The peron who is close to God becomes friends of God.
To connect it to its matrix, the desert, the “invitation” to become a reader in the midst of that harsh and cruel environment is actually a call to life. Here we hear the echo of Psalm 95: “Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness”.
The voice of God is an invitation to read and recite (iqra) that God is a mighty one and the Lord over all the gods. It is a call to listen to God and to be taught by Him (Sura 96: “thy Lord who taught by the Pen and taught man that he knew not.”). It is an invitation to abandon all the idols of the world and cling to the Lord for unto Him is the Great Returning!
2. The Guide (Shayk). The discernment of God’s invitation requires a
GUIDE (Shayk). This is the reason that God sent messengers and prophets
through the ages not only ‘recite’ and ‘proclaim’ God’s word but also to
show the path. The need for guide is even made more urgent in the desert
environment. No one ventures into the desert without a guide. The guide
knows the way to the life-giving oasis. Without the guide, one is lost and
dies.
In a more spiritual tradition, a person desiring to be God’s friend joins a path always associated with shayk. The shayk guides the “initiate” in the reading and meditation of the God’s word. The purpose of the shayk is to help the initiate discover the “hidden” (batin) meanings of the Word of God as contrasted to their latent or literal meaning.
Even today, no one joins the Pilgrimage (Hajj) without a Guide, else he simply moves and moves around without visiting the House of God. Yes, in the journey towards spirituality, “spiritual director” (a shayk) is not an option but an OBLIGATION.
3. The Path/Way. It is fascinating to note that all our desert religions revolve around (1) Path, (2) Water and (3) Fire. In Islam the path is always identified to the “straight path” – “the path of those whom Thou hast blessed, not of those against whom Thou art wrathful, nor of those who are astray” (Sura 1).
That right path is the Law of God (Shari’a). Faithful observance of the Law of God is walking through the straight path that leads to life as symbolized by the spring of water or well in the desert. In the daily life, one faithfully observes the Law of God, particularly in the worship of God – Confession of Faith (Shahadat), Prayer (Salat), Giving a portion of your wealth to the poor (Zakat), Fasting in the month of Ramadan, and the Visit of God’s House at least once in a lifetime.
The Islamic Law (Shari’a) to many non-Muslims appears harsh, especially the Criminal Law (Hudud), the most glamorized aspects of the Islamic Law in “western media”. Yet to Muslims, the Islamic Law lays the right movements of rituals, the right behavior and relationships in community and above all indicates duties and obligations. Thus it is the rudder that keeps the boat in the right direction and keeps it from keeling.
In a more spiritual tradition, a person desiring to be God’s friend joins a path always associated with shayk. The shayk guides the “initiate” in the reading and meditation of the God’s word. The purpose of the shayk is to help the initiate discover the “hidden” (batin) meanings of the Word of God as contrasted to their latent or literal meaning.
Even today, no one joins the Pilgrimage (Hajj) without a Guide, else he simply moves and moves around without visiting the House of God. Yes, in the journey towards spirituality, “spiritual director” (a shayk) is not an option but an OBLIGATION.
3. The Path/Way. It is fascinating to note that all our desert religions revolve around (1) Path, (2) Water and (3) Fire. In Islam the path is always identified to the “straight path” – “the path of those whom Thou hast blessed, not of those against whom Thou art wrathful, nor of those who are astray” (Sura 1).
That right path is the Law of God (Shari’a). Faithful observance of the Law of God is walking through the straight path that leads to life as symbolized by the spring of water or well in the desert. In the daily life, one faithfully observes the Law of God, particularly in the worship of God – Confession of Faith (Shahadat), Prayer (Salat), Giving a portion of your wealth to the poor (Zakat), Fasting in the month of Ramadan, and the Visit of God’s House at least once in a lifetime.
The Islamic Law (Shari’a) to many non-Muslims appears harsh, especially the Criminal Law (Hudud), the most glamorized aspects of the Islamic Law in “western media”. Yet to Muslims, the Islamic Law lays the right movements of rituals, the right behavior and relationships in community and above all indicates duties and obligations. Thus it is the rudder that keeps the boat in the right direction and keeps it from keeling.
The person who desires His Holy Will faithfully observes the Law. The
faithful observance of the Law leads to the resting place - to freedom and
life as well. Among the initiated to the path (tariqa), a fire is given (HUWA
in the form of lamp). He (God) is the fire that illumines the Path.
The Tariqa (The Path). In some Tariqa circles (“brotherhood” of Ascetics), the journey to God is often described as passing through seven (7) stages.
The first stage is nafs amara or the soul of the flesh. In this first stage, the faithful observance of the Shari’a is crucial since this is the way of the beginners.
The second stage is nafs alawama or the spirit of test. This is the narrow road and the way of the penitent thus it requires a discipline. This is the beginning of ascetic practices under the guidance of a shayk. The color of this particular stage is yellow (the light), the outlook of ascetics.
The third stage is nafs al-mulhamat or the listening spirit. This is to train oneself to listen and to receive inspiration. This is the stage for inward looking and probing – the beginning to journey into the heart... The color is Red.
The fourth stage is the quiet soul. The self is found and the reality as well. One begins to experience one’s closeness to God ... the Truth. The color is white.
The fifth stage is the happy Soul or nafs aradit. This is the beginning of a journey within God. The knowledge that is hidden is penetrated... God is filling one’s nothingness - State of emptiness is experienced. The color is green.
The sixth stage is the soul seeking approval or nafs mardiya. This is describes as “going away from God”. One goes back to the way of the Shari’a and find their essence. The color is Black.
The Tariqa (The Path). In some Tariqa circles (“brotherhood” of Ascetics), the journey to God is often described as passing through seven (7) stages.
The first stage is nafs amara or the soul of the flesh. In this first stage, the faithful observance of the Shari’a is crucial since this is the way of the beginners.
The second stage is nafs alawama or the spirit of test. This is the narrow road and the way of the penitent thus it requires a discipline. This is the beginning of ascetic practices under the guidance of a shayk. The color of this particular stage is yellow (the light), the outlook of ascetics.
The third stage is nafs al-mulhamat or the listening spirit. This is to train oneself to listen and to receive inspiration. This is the stage for inward looking and probing – the beginning to journey into the heart... The color is Red.
The fourth stage is the quiet soul. The self is found and the reality as well. One begins to experience one’s closeness to God ... the Truth. The color is white.
The fifth stage is the happy Soul or nafs aradit. This is the beginning of a journey within God. The knowledge that is hidden is penetrated... God is filling one’s nothingness - State of emptiness is experienced. The color is green.
The sixth stage is the soul seeking approval or nafs mardiya. This is describes as “going away from God”. One goes back to the way of the Shari’a and find their essence. The color is Black.
The seventh stage is the soul of perfection or nafs kamilat. The journey is
God. The journey is UNION with God.
C. The Journey and the Pilgrims. Spirituality is the journey through the Path that leads to life. This is physically lived during the performance of the Hajj. (An account of the Hajj... Embarking on a journey, Entering into the state of ihsan (purity), Standing in His Presence, Readiness to wait and heed his bidding, Renouncing Satan, and the Great Sacrifice – ‘Idul-Adha.)
The state of purity that is required upon embarking on a journey is similar to the biblical call: “Blessed are the pure of Heart, they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8). It is the singular devotion to the One True God and thou shalt NOT associate anything with Him.
Singular devotion to God is not fundamentalism of sort that is often associated to fanaticism. The Qur’an speaks that “It is not piety, that you turn your faces to the East and to the West. True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets, to give of one’s substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphan, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms” (Sura 2: 172).
D. The Reader (Lectio Divina)
A very powerful symbol of a person nearest to God’s Word is the one who reads His Word (the Qur’anic reading). He recites the Word of God from the heart and uses the Book (Kitab) as his guide. God’s Word absorbs the person in his whole being and this, in a way, expresses the “union” between the believer and the living Word of God (similar to partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist). The first COMMAND given to the prophet is “READ” (Iqra) that is to what God has revealed.
I have a rebel - friend who in times of great distress finds rest/solace in the reading of the Qur’an. He would retreat in a corner and sits on his prayer mat with the Qur’an in front of him and begins his beautiful recitation of the Word of God. He and the people around him are transformed and mesmerized by the power of the Word. Yes, it works like magic and it is a miracle! This same reading of the Word of God in the Book (just in the same way as the eating of the Word of God made flesh) is the source and fountain of Holiness. As the great Chesterton said: “Yes, a tree grows fruit because it is a magic tree. Water runs down because it is bewitched. In the same way why do eggs turn to birds or leaves fall in autumn or as Cinderella asked her fairy godmother why mice turned into horses or her clothes fell from her at twelve o’clock.”
C. The Journey and the Pilgrims. Spirituality is the journey through the Path that leads to life. This is physically lived during the performance of the Hajj. (An account of the Hajj... Embarking on a journey, Entering into the state of ihsan (purity), Standing in His Presence, Readiness to wait and heed his bidding, Renouncing Satan, and the Great Sacrifice – ‘Idul-Adha.)
The state of purity that is required upon embarking on a journey is similar to the biblical call: “Blessed are the pure of Heart, they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8). It is the singular devotion to the One True God and thou shalt NOT associate anything with Him.
Singular devotion to God is not fundamentalism of sort that is often associated to fanaticism. The Qur’an speaks that “It is not piety, that you turn your faces to the East and to the West. True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets, to give of one’s substance, however cherished, to kinsmen, and orphan, the needy, the traveler, beggars, and to ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms” (Sura 2: 172).
D. The Reader (Lectio Divina)
A very powerful symbol of a person nearest to God’s Word is the one who reads His Word (the Qur’anic reading). He recites the Word of God from the heart and uses the Book (Kitab) as his guide. God’s Word absorbs the person in his whole being and this, in a way, expresses the “union” between the believer and the living Word of God (similar to partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist). The first COMMAND given to the prophet is “READ” (Iqra) that is to what God has revealed.
I have a rebel - friend who in times of great distress finds rest/solace in the reading of the Qur’an. He would retreat in a corner and sits on his prayer mat with the Qur’an in front of him and begins his beautiful recitation of the Word of God. He and the people around him are transformed and mesmerized by the power of the Word. Yes, it works like magic and it is a miracle! This same reading of the Word of God in the Book (just in the same way as the eating of the Word of God made flesh) is the source and fountain of Holiness. As the great Chesterton said: “Yes, a tree grows fruit because it is a magic tree. Water runs down because it is bewitched. In the same way why do eggs turn to birds or leaves fall in autumn or as Cinderella asked her fairy godmother why mice turned into horses or her clothes fell from her at twelve o’clock.”
E. Ahl al-Dhikr (The people of Remembrance).
The people who remember and are initiated to the remembrance of God are called the ahl al-dhikr. They meditate on the Word of God and discover the mystery “hidden” in the Word. Their life is devoted to the Divine pleasing (ridwan-lillah). Holiness is to “remember” and act and do what is pleasing to Him. It is a lifetime life of remembrance and a life that is pleasing to God!
The people who remember and are initiated to the remembrance of God are called the ahl al-dhikr. They meditate on the Word of God and discover the mystery “hidden” in the Word. Their life is devoted to the Divine pleasing (ridwan-lillah). Holiness is to “remember” and act and do what is pleasing to Him. It is a lifetime life of remembrance and a life that is pleasing to God!
